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ERIC Number: EJ762260
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-May
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1041-7915
EISSN: N/A
Redesigning a Library Space for Collaborative Learning
Gabbard, Ralph B.; Kaiser, Anthony; Kaunelis, David
Computers in Libraries, v27 n5 p6-11 May 2007
The reference desk at Indiana State University's (ISU) library offers an excellent view of student work areas on the first floor. From this vantage point, the reference librarians noticed students, especially in the evening and on weekends, huddled together in small groups, with one student at the keyboard of a laptop or desktop computer. The others were standing, kneeling, or sitting nearby, straining to look over the first student's shoulders to catch a glimpse of the monitor. After watching this scene play out repeatedly, a survey of the campus was made to see what kinds of space and equipment were available for students to work on collaborative projects. There were no such facilities. The library is the only centralized location where new and emerging information technologies can be combined with traditional knowledge resources in a user-focused, service-rich environment that supports today's social and educational patterns of learning, teaching, and research. However, libraries traditionally have not provided either space for or an atmosphere conducive to collaborative activities. This article describes how a library space was redesigned for collaborative learning. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)
Information Today, Inc. 143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750. Tel: 800-300-9868; Tel: 609-654-6266; Fax: 609-654-4309; e-mail: custserv@infotoday.com; Web site: http://infotoday.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: Media Staff
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Indiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A